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Teddy Bridgewater
- Thread starter revan
- Start date
You are right, let me get this back on track........
I love that first play.
That's the player I envision in a texans uniform. He has the look of a franchise qb on that play in particular.
aussie_texan
Veteran
Now don't make me have to go gif crazy again, I could always make more lol.
you love gifs don't you mate
revan
Waterboy
Dutchrudder
Hall of Fame
You are right, let me get this back on track........
But but but... if he had hit the receiver in stride it would have been a touchdown! What a LOSER! 50 yards downfield? My grandma could do that.
You are right, let me get this back on track........
I like the way he moves in the pocket instead of trying to run.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Jesus you're dense.. try again bud... i highlighted the things that he said in the article that caught his eye...intelligence, work ethic & decision making...
that's not describing it...those were words straight from the horses mouth through the article....
I've also seen Belichick's a football life & I'm well aware of what he's said...
What you fail to understand is that while some of the things he's said in both mediums fit Bortles & many other qb's for that matter, Everything he's ever said about the drafting of Brady fits TB.
You also seem to hold something against folks you percieve to not have done as much film study as you. Like your opinion is more valid b/c you've watched 12 games & that person has only watched 10.
stingray
Hall of Fame
This is more appropriate for this poster. Theres always one.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WFcUJ1tDqDA#
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WFcUJ1tDqDA#
Texian
Hall of Fame
I don't think Jesus is going to help you, not dense, I unlike others understand comments made are after the fact and not before. However it is clear that some have difficulty deciphering and understanding the before and after comments.....and if you watch the video in it's entirety then you will know there is much more to it than the bits and pieces mag article.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
...
....
TexansFTW
Veteran
Wow, that was hilarious. Thank you, never saw that before.
After looking at Bortles' tape and comparing it to Teddy Bridgewater, I don't even see how it is even an argument as to who the better QB is. I think you are going against the grain just to prove a point (whatever your intended point is). See, if Bortles comes to the Texans he just may be successful. He will have a good o-line (hopefully), a good running back, receivers, a proven system, a good QB developing coach, and a patient owner. But, If bortles goes to Jacksonville, Oakland, or Cleveland, odds are he will never realize his true potential as these clubs are known for being QB hell in terms of development. In any event, what will you say if/when Bortles is finally considered a bust? Are you prepared to stomach the vast amount of crow you will have to eat?
revan
Waterboy
Nothing new, writer thinks that TB will fall to Cleveland.
http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-browns/post/_/id/4240/combine-five-no-2-teddy-bridgewater
http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-browns/post/_/id/4240/combine-five-no-2-teddy-bridgewater
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Reschedule another Pro-Day or pvt just for him. It happens. It also happens when one door closes another one opens
jradMIT
Veteran
Radio city music hall was booked so they had to move it back.
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
NFL Films' Greg Cosell stated on the Ross Tucker Podcast that he's heard Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater's weight dropped to 188 pounds late in the 2013 college season.
Thanks for that. I am by no means an expert, but the team should be able to keep the weight in the right spot, right? Just keeping an eye on him that he is training and eating right. So, with the weight being alright right now, it shouldn`t be a problem, should it?
I know there are injury concerns and they are valid - but as far as I know Bridgewater was never severly injured so far. And his playing style isn`t really dangerous. He gets the ball out quickly, rarely scrambles and has a great feel and great feet in the pocket. This is not like RG3 or Manziell who make a living on the run.
And the lacking arm strength - as far as I´ve read he isn`t lacking arm strength, he just doesn`t use it right. He floats the ball too often and lacks accuracy on deep balls sometimes. But he has the strength to zip the ball and throw it 60 yards deep (as seen on one of the vids posted one page before). To me, this seems more like a coaching thing, than like a lack of physique thing.
Again, I am far from being an expert - but right now it seems like scouts and coaches are more in love with physical traits and thinking, that the mental aspect can be coached. We´ve seen this approach houndreds of times and it usually fails. It is hard to teach a guy to go through his reads quickly and it is hard to teach a guy how NFL defenses work. If you take a raw player, the speed of the game will kill him the first 2 seasons - and if you´re lucky, then he learns enough to become productive after that.
Wilson dropped because of his lacking physique, so did Rodgers and Brees. Despite them having everything you need to have in the head, a great drive and competitiveness and decent technique.
To me, Bridgewater looks like a guy that really gets football and is living, breathing and eating football. He is also the most accurate guy and has the best feet in the pocket. And he is the only college QB that did all the reads himself at the line of scrimmage and basically worked as an offensive coordinator. All that while being tall enough for it not being called a weakness and "heavy" enough to prove, that he can fill out his body and protect himself. And don`t forget, QBs in the NFL make their living with 5-15 yards passes - Bridgewater excelled at those.
I really don`t understand, why he seems to be dropping in rankings and mock drafts right now. Him not participating in combine drills is the most logical answer, but lots of high profile QBs do that. It´ll be interesting how his proday will affect his draft stock. I truly believe he will do anything the scouts ask him to do and excell.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
He talked to kirwan and miller at thr combine. He said he was 222 before he had the overbite fixed. After that, he dropped weight and couldnt put it back on. Jay cutler dropped alot of weight until he found out hevwas diabetic.
Allstar
Bona fide
Jerome Solomon ‏@JeromeSolomon
Talked to Teddy Bridgewater, his first interview since the combine. Hard not to be impressed. He says all of his meetings were mostly FBL.
Bridgewater asked teams how his style fit their offense and what he needed to improve in his game. "Its all about getting better."
Bridgewater on Bill O'Brien: "Coach OBrien, he was all into ball, all football. He asked questions ... coverages, reads, protections."
Teddy Bridgewater on the #Texans: "I was very impressed with the way that they were so professional the entire meeting."
Bridgewater is back in Florida training in prep for Louisville's Pro Day on March 17. He expects to run 4.6-4.7 in the 40.
As for the silly questions other players mentioned getting at the combine, Bridgewater says "There werent any curveballs, just football."
Talked to Teddy Bridgewater, his first interview since the combine. Hard not to be impressed. He says all of his meetings were mostly FBL.
Bridgewater asked teams how his style fit their offense and what he needed to improve in his game. "Its all about getting better."
Bridgewater on Bill O'Brien: "Coach OBrien, he was all into ball, all football. He asked questions ... coverages, reads, protections."
Teddy Bridgewater on the #Texans: "I was very impressed with the way that they were so professional the entire meeting."
Bridgewater is back in Florida training in prep for Louisville's Pro Day on March 17. He expects to run 4.6-4.7 in the 40.
As for the silly questions other players mentioned getting at the combine, Bridgewater says "There werent any curveballs, just football."
jradMIT
Veteran
Its the coach's/scout's fatal flaw. They can never make a guy bigger, faster, or stronger but they too many times think they can get the guy to be mentally on a level matching his physical tools, when in reality those mental traits are almost as immutable as the physical.
That´s what I´m saying. A guy coming out of college that is lacking in accuracy, making the right reads fast and decision making will fail in the NFL probably about 90% of the time. You can refine mechanics, you can teach reading NFL defenses, but all only to a certain extent and not to every player.
I can understand falling in love with Manziel because of his unbelievable talent - but it is a gamble. I can understand falling in love with Bortles because of his prototypical size and arm. But with both guys I see a big bust potential - and I see scouts saying: well, we love what we see physically, we can fix the rest - and I would be very hesistant with that assumption.
That`s why I like Bridgewater. He definetly has the accuracy (yeah, it gets worse, when he is throwing over 20 yards, but those are not the throws NFL QBs make a living with), he can make fast reads, he understands and loves the game and he makes the right decisions. He might not be the tallest, the strongest or the fastest, but he is more than adequat in each regard. With him you know you get a QB that has all the mental aspects right and that has an accurate arm. He doesn`t need fixing.
And coaches are probably at least as likely to fix his deep ball accuracy and using his strength right, than they are fixing the flaws in Manziels or Bortles game - the difference is, that Bridgewaters flaws don`t necessarily need fixing, even if they stay he could develope into a great QB and probably will at least be a good QB.
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
I'm with you for most of your post except for the above. I don't believe that you should combine Accuracy and Decision Making like you seem to be above because they are two different things. Accuracy is being able to get the ball to your receiver consistently. Decision Making is choosing the right receiver and the right place to put the ball.
You can make the wrong decision and still throw an accurate ball. You just, very accurately, throw the ball to the wrong receiver.
Both accuracy and decision making can be improved. A lot of times, just improving the footwork will improve the accuracy. And decision making can improve with good coaching and learning the offense. OB has to look at all of these guys and accurately determine which ones are "fixable" and have the highest ceiling.
cland
Rookie
Just rewording, I think is a bit more accurate:
Decision Making is choosing the right receiver, timing, and the right place to put the ball.
Accuracy is the ability to deliver the ball to the exact spot you chose.
Arm Strength can affect the timing of the throw (a faster pass reduces the time to the receiver.) This is particularly important on out-routes and deep ball tosses.
Decision Making is choosing the right receiver, timing, and the right place to put the ball.
Accuracy is the ability to deliver the ball to the exact spot you chose.
Arm Strength can affect the timing of the throw (a faster pass reduces the time to the receiver.) This is particularly important on out-routes and deep ball tosses.
revan
Waterboy
Nothing new happening so here is an old interview on Highly Questionable that gets personal with Teddy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaCmCXBNpJE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaCmCXBNpJE
revan
Waterboy
http://insiderlouisville.com/news/20...ng-elementary/
IL: What about your offense helped prepare Teddy for the pros?
Watson: The offense is based on the quarterback being a decision maker and a game manager. When they watch Teddy, they can see those things on film. It’s a full-field read offense. You have to have a deep understanding of coverages and defensive football.
When you see Teddy play, you see him using all of his throws. We did throw some bubble screens or perimeter screens, but the majority of his work is being done off a five-step or seven-step drop or a deep play-action drop. Or blowing the ball down the field and attacking the deep coverage. By and large, that’s what the NFL game is.
The next aspect I think they saw was his ability to manage the check game at the line of scrimmage (calling audibles). The quarterback has got to be able to beat the defensive coordinator at the line of scrimmage and eliminate any perfect defensive calls.
He did a beautiful job of readjusting our protections. He was the perfect student for the system, with the perfect skill set.
IL: How difficult will it be for Bridgewater to learn an actual NFL offense?
Watson: I don’t know if the systems are that much more complicated. One of the misnomers out there is that people think football has to be hard. The great systems with the elite coaches, they aren’t going to be hard. They are going to be simplistic. They are going to let the quarterback play fast.
The big adjustment is that the defenses are going to be more challenging. … Those windows get so tight. That will be the difference for him. And there’s a different level of speed involved – warp speed, above even high-level college ball.
Another huge part of the transition for a college quarterbacks is you’re always going to play in a disrupted pocket. Teddy has great pocket awareness. We drilled him very hard on creating protections and passing lanes in the pocket. He was a natural at it.
He is the best I’ve ever coached at that. Very, very unique. That speaks to him being a great student of the game.
IL: Brian Billick, another Teddy fan, very cautiously compared him to another slightly built quarterback named Joe Montana.
Watson: That’s the It factor I’m talking about. He has a natural feel for the game. The game goes very, very slow for him. In the middle of this hurricane, he is the eye, the cool and the calm and the poise.
He brings creativity to the game. He can create outside of the parameters of the offense. And he’s a great competitor. …
When lights got big, he was the brightest light on the field. The Sugar Bowl. Miami. The game against Rutgers, when he was really hurt. In Morgantown, when he was a freshman. He has It.
IL: Where do you see him in five years?
Watson: In five years, my man Teddy is going to be in that top group of quarterbacks in the NFL. He will find his way there. It’s just in him. There’s no doubt. That’s just who he is.
L: Some say Teddy hurt himself at the NFL Combine by not throwing or running and measuring at less than 6 feet 3, his listed height at U of L.
Watson: Well, who’s saying it? At this time of year, it’s just the game that gets played. If it’s a pro team that’s saying it, they might just be trying to put the okey-doke on somebody, throwing them off the trail. …
I get to have a different conversation than the TV analysts. I’m talking to people who are really making the decisions, and I don’t get that feeling at all (that Bridgewater’s stock is falling).
They’re not showing their hand to me, but the things they say back to me about what they see in his play and from his interviews, he has shown very well.
IL: What about your offense helped prepare Teddy for the pros?
Watson: The offense is based on the quarterback being a decision maker and a game manager. When they watch Teddy, they can see those things on film. It’s a full-field read offense. You have to have a deep understanding of coverages and defensive football.
When you see Teddy play, you see him using all of his throws. We did throw some bubble screens or perimeter screens, but the majority of his work is being done off a five-step or seven-step drop or a deep play-action drop. Or blowing the ball down the field and attacking the deep coverage. By and large, that’s what the NFL game is.
The next aspect I think they saw was his ability to manage the check game at the line of scrimmage (calling audibles). The quarterback has got to be able to beat the defensive coordinator at the line of scrimmage and eliminate any perfect defensive calls.
He did a beautiful job of readjusting our protections. He was the perfect student for the system, with the perfect skill set.
IL: How difficult will it be for Bridgewater to learn an actual NFL offense?
Watson: I don’t know if the systems are that much more complicated. One of the misnomers out there is that people think football has to be hard. The great systems with the elite coaches, they aren’t going to be hard. They are going to be simplistic. They are going to let the quarterback play fast.
The big adjustment is that the defenses are going to be more challenging. … Those windows get so tight. That will be the difference for him. And there’s a different level of speed involved – warp speed, above even high-level college ball.
Another huge part of the transition for a college quarterbacks is you’re always going to play in a disrupted pocket. Teddy has great pocket awareness. We drilled him very hard on creating protections and passing lanes in the pocket. He was a natural at it.
He is the best I’ve ever coached at that. Very, very unique. That speaks to him being a great student of the game.
IL: Brian Billick, another Teddy fan, very cautiously compared him to another slightly built quarterback named Joe Montana.
Watson: That’s the It factor I’m talking about. He has a natural feel for the game. The game goes very, very slow for him. In the middle of this hurricane, he is the eye, the cool and the calm and the poise.
He brings creativity to the game. He can create outside of the parameters of the offense. And he’s a great competitor. …
When lights got big, he was the brightest light on the field. The Sugar Bowl. Miami. The game against Rutgers, when he was really hurt. In Morgantown, when he was a freshman. He has It.
IL: Where do you see him in five years?
Watson: In five years, my man Teddy is going to be in that top group of quarterbacks in the NFL. He will find his way there. It’s just in him. There’s no doubt. That’s just who he is.
L: Some say Teddy hurt himself at the NFL Combine by not throwing or running and measuring at less than 6 feet 3, his listed height at U of L.
Watson: Well, who’s saying it? At this time of year, it’s just the game that gets played. If it’s a pro team that’s saying it, they might just be trying to put the okey-doke on somebody, throwing them off the trail. …
I get to have a different conversation than the TV analysts. I’m talking to people who are really making the decisions, and I don’t get that feeling at all (that Bridgewater’s stock is falling).
They’re not showing their hand to me, but the things they say back to me about what they see in his play and from his interviews, he has shown very well.
Allstar
Bona fide
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Solomon to Texans: Don't overthink it; take Teddy Bridgewater
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Comments
John Raoux, Associated Press
Teddy Bridgewater
By Jerome Solomon
March 14, 2014 | Updated: March 14, 2014 11:09am
The Texans already have put a significant amount of thought into what to do with the first pick of the NFL draft.
While it will not bring about world peace, the decision could mean the difference between Super Bowl glory and continued NFL irrelevancy.
Considering the franchise's familiarity with the latter, the decision is understandably difficult.
But as the Texans' decision-makers ponder this move and its repercussions, they shouldn't overthink it.
I believe it was an early urban domino philosopher who first said, "Study long, study wrong."
On Thursday, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper decided to draw attention to his third mock draft by putting linebacker Khalil Mack from the University of Buffalo to the Texans at No. 1. A few weeks ago, Kiper thought Mack would be taken No. 7. (No, Buffalo hasn't played any games recently.)
That means three quarterbacks, two offensive linemen, a defensive end, a wide receiver, a linebacker and a partridge in a pear tree have all been picked by some noted mockster to be the wisest move for the Texans at the top of the draft.
Stop the madness.
It is this simple:
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Cardinals throws a pass.
The Texans should draft Teddy Bridgewater.
I'm no Sherlock Acres Homes, but I did some investigating to reach that conclusion.
In recent weeks, I have talked to more than a dozen scouts and coaches college and pro to gain more knowledge on the top candidates. While they offered various opinions on who they would take, not a one said Bridgewater would be a bad choice.
He is the only player to get a passing grade, an A in fact, from everyone I talked to.
University of Houston defensive coordinator Davie Gibbs, who has 15 years of defensive coaching experience in the NFL, said prepping for Bridgewater was a particular challenge because there is no weak point for which to attack.
Most college quarterbacks have a blind spot. Not Bridgewater.
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Cardinals is sacked by Kelechi Ejekam #41 of the Cougars.
Throughout a tape breakdown of Bridgewater against the Cougars, Gibbs kept saying, "See, that's exactly what they ask NFL quarterbacks to do," or "That's just what they coached him to do."
Bridgewater ran Louisville's full-field read, West Coast system with such command that it is obvious he was in complete control of what happened on the field, from changing plays at the line of scrimmage to determining protection schemes for the offensive line.
Not that other college quarterbacks can't learn to do it; Bridgewater already has done it.
"He had a check system with a myriad of options and he always had the ability to check out of a bad play, from run-to-run, run-to-pass, pass-to-run, whatever," former Louisville offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson said. "And we had the same kill system used in the NFL.
"My job was to try to beat the defensive coordinator Sunday-Thursday. I gave him the chalk to beat the defensive coordinator on Saturday. He would go out there and orchestrate it, and he did an unbelievable job. The most efficient QB I've ever had."
Bridgewater, who earned his college degree in three years, was so proficient in the Cardinals' offense that offensive line coach Dave Borbely once asked him to teach the protections to the line.
"He wanted his players to know the offense like Teddy, because he knew every detail," said Watson, who is now part of former Louisville coach Charlie Strong's staff at Texas. "Players said to him that 'hearing (Teddy) talk was like listening to you talk.'"
Watson hopes his Longhorns quarterbacks learn from Bridgewater, as he has been showing them tape of the Big East Offensive Player of the Year as a "how to" guide.
Being a good player at the most important position ought to be enough, but we know it isn't. Bridgewater is more than that.
Those close to him say he is a dedicated young man, who sets goals and works hard to achieve them.
He wants to be great. He never stops learning. He isn't afraid to ask questions.
That he wanted the spelling of my name at the end of a phone interview, so that he would know who he had just talked to says something about the young man.
That he asked the NFL teams he met at the scouting combine what he could improve in his game to better fit in their system says even more.
"At the end of the day, it's all about getting better," Bridgewater said. "I was able to gain some knowledge. If there is something I need to work on, I need to know. And I'm going to work on it."
Watson says Bridgewater's sponge-like approach means his growth is far from over.
Early in their relationship, Watson asked him how he wanted to be coached.
"Hard."
What's hard to you?
"I want you to demand excellence out of me."
"Playing the position you have to be able to handle a lot," Bridgewater said. "I showed I'm able to handle a heavy load and a ton of responsibility, not only from a quarterback's standpoint, but from learning what a coach is thinking and trying to be that coach on the field. You have to play smart to do that, you have to know the entire offense, where everybody is supposed to be, know defenses and what they are trying to do and know what the coach expects from you."
Bridgewater isn't just intelligent. He is an accurate passer with a more than adequate arm, and he is a better athlete than most think.
"Honestly, if we had depth behind him, he could have been a spread quarterback, easily," Watson said. "We had to choose-and-pick places we wanted to run him because of the situation. He's got good receiver, not great, but good receiver speed."
Bridgewater told me that he expects to run between 4.6 and 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day on Monday.
The only negative brought up about Bridgewater was size. He is 6-foot-2 and played at around 205 pounds at Louisville last season.
Size does matter in the NFL, but balance that criticism of his frame with the fact that he played at 218 pounds the year before.
He had surgery done on his jaw to fix a dental-bite issue that prevented him from eating solid food for two months last offseason.
He weighed in at 214 pounds at the combine.
"He'll carry 220-225 easy," Watson said.
Scouts mentioned that Bridgewater's hands, while big enough, aren't especially big (9¼ inches). He played with gloves at Louisville, but the Miami native did so because he found the weather was chilly at spring practices and Watson made him wear them all the time, except in rainy weather.
In three years as a starter, Bridgewater lost only two fumbles.
As for toughness? He showed plenty in a 2012 loss to UConn.
Bridgewater was under duress the entire game sacked five times, with no running game (28 yards on 27 carries) but he kept battling and threw a touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining to help Louisville overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and force overtime.
Oh, did I mention he sat out the third quarter to be fitted for a cast because he suffered a broken wrist in the first half? He also suffered a sprained ankle in overtime but returned to play the next week wearing the cast and with a slight limp, to lead Louisville to a conference championship-clinching victory and a BCS bowl bid.
Oh, the kid is a gamer.
Intelligent. Athletic. Driven.
He might not be flashy, but he could be an NFL star.
"I can't wait to see what he becomes, because he'll be a franchise guy," Watson said. "He has franchise written all over him because of his character.
"I think for a guy to become a franchise guy, he's gotta first have the skillset and most importantly he's gotta have the character to realize that skillset.
"Teddy Bridgewater's got the character and the skillset."
And the Texans have the No. 1 draft pick.
They shouldn't overthink it.
Listen to The Rush with Jerome Solomon and Dave Tepper weekdays from noon-2 p.m. on ESPN 97.5 FM.
Jerome.solomon@chron.com
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Solomon to Texans: Don't overthink it; take Teddy Bridgewater
Share
Comments
John Raoux, Associated Press
Teddy Bridgewater
By Jerome Solomon
March 14, 2014 | Updated: March 14, 2014 11:09am
The Texans already have put a significant amount of thought into what to do with the first pick of the NFL draft.
While it will not bring about world peace, the decision could mean the difference between Super Bowl glory and continued NFL irrelevancy.
Considering the franchise's familiarity with the latter, the decision is understandably difficult.
But as the Texans' decision-makers ponder this move and its repercussions, they shouldn't overthink it.
I believe it was an early urban domino philosopher who first said, "Study long, study wrong."
On Thursday, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper decided to draw attention to his third mock draft by putting linebacker Khalil Mack from the University of Buffalo to the Texans at No. 1. A few weeks ago, Kiper thought Mack would be taken No. 7. (No, Buffalo hasn't played any games recently.)
That means three quarterbacks, two offensive linemen, a defensive end, a wide receiver, a linebacker and a partridge in a pear tree have all been picked by some noted mockster to be the wisest move for the Texans at the top of the draft.
Stop the madness.
It is this simple:
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Cardinals throws a pass.
The Texans should draft Teddy Bridgewater.
I'm no Sherlock Acres Homes, but I did some investigating to reach that conclusion.
In recent weeks, I have talked to more than a dozen scouts and coaches college and pro to gain more knowledge on the top candidates. While they offered various opinions on who they would take, not a one said Bridgewater would be a bad choice.
He is the only player to get a passing grade, an A in fact, from everyone I talked to.
University of Houston defensive coordinator Davie Gibbs, who has 15 years of defensive coaching experience in the NFL, said prepping for Bridgewater was a particular challenge because there is no weak point for which to attack.
Most college quarterbacks have a blind spot. Not Bridgewater.
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Cardinals is sacked by Kelechi Ejekam #41 of the Cougars.
Throughout a tape breakdown of Bridgewater against the Cougars, Gibbs kept saying, "See, that's exactly what they ask NFL quarterbacks to do," or "That's just what they coached him to do."
Bridgewater ran Louisville's full-field read, West Coast system with such command that it is obvious he was in complete control of what happened on the field, from changing plays at the line of scrimmage to determining protection schemes for the offensive line.
Not that other college quarterbacks can't learn to do it; Bridgewater already has done it.
"He had a check system with a myriad of options and he always had the ability to check out of a bad play, from run-to-run, run-to-pass, pass-to-run, whatever," former Louisville offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson said. "And we had the same kill system used in the NFL.
"My job was to try to beat the defensive coordinator Sunday-Thursday. I gave him the chalk to beat the defensive coordinator on Saturday. He would go out there and orchestrate it, and he did an unbelievable job. The most efficient QB I've ever had."
Bridgewater, who earned his college degree in three years, was so proficient in the Cardinals' offense that offensive line coach Dave Borbely once asked him to teach the protections to the line.
"He wanted his players to know the offense like Teddy, because he knew every detail," said Watson, who is now part of former Louisville coach Charlie Strong's staff at Texas. "Players said to him that 'hearing (Teddy) talk was like listening to you talk.'"
Watson hopes his Longhorns quarterbacks learn from Bridgewater, as he has been showing them tape of the Big East Offensive Player of the Year as a "how to" guide.
Being a good player at the most important position ought to be enough, but we know it isn't. Bridgewater is more than that.
Those close to him say he is a dedicated young man, who sets goals and works hard to achieve them.
He wants to be great. He never stops learning. He isn't afraid to ask questions.
That he wanted the spelling of my name at the end of a phone interview, so that he would know who he had just talked to says something about the young man.
That he asked the NFL teams he met at the scouting combine what he could improve in his game to better fit in their system says even more.
"At the end of the day, it's all about getting better," Bridgewater said. "I was able to gain some knowledge. If there is something I need to work on, I need to know. And I'm going to work on it."
Watson says Bridgewater's sponge-like approach means his growth is far from over.
Early in their relationship, Watson asked him how he wanted to be coached.
"Hard."
What's hard to you?
"I want you to demand excellence out of me."
"Playing the position you have to be able to handle a lot," Bridgewater said. "I showed I'm able to handle a heavy load and a ton of responsibility, not only from a quarterback's standpoint, but from learning what a coach is thinking and trying to be that coach on the field. You have to play smart to do that, you have to know the entire offense, where everybody is supposed to be, know defenses and what they are trying to do and know what the coach expects from you."
Bridgewater isn't just intelligent. He is an accurate passer with a more than adequate arm, and he is a better athlete than most think.
"Honestly, if we had depth behind him, he could have been a spread quarterback, easily," Watson said. "We had to choose-and-pick places we wanted to run him because of the situation. He's got good receiver, not great, but good receiver speed."
Bridgewater told me that he expects to run between 4.6 and 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day on Monday.
The only negative brought up about Bridgewater was size. He is 6-foot-2 and played at around 205 pounds at Louisville last season.
Size does matter in the NFL, but balance that criticism of his frame with the fact that he played at 218 pounds the year before.
He had surgery done on his jaw to fix a dental-bite issue that prevented him from eating solid food for two months last offseason.
He weighed in at 214 pounds at the combine.
"He'll carry 220-225 easy," Watson said.
Scouts mentioned that Bridgewater's hands, while big enough, aren't especially big (9¼ inches). He played with gloves at Louisville, but the Miami native did so because he found the weather was chilly at spring practices and Watson made him wear them all the time, except in rainy weather.
In three years as a starter, Bridgewater lost only two fumbles.
As for toughness? He showed plenty in a 2012 loss to UConn.
Bridgewater was under duress the entire game sacked five times, with no running game (28 yards on 27 carries) but he kept battling and threw a touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining to help Louisville overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and force overtime.
Oh, did I mention he sat out the third quarter to be fitted for a cast because he suffered a broken wrist in the first half? He also suffered a sprained ankle in overtime but returned to play the next week wearing the cast and with a slight limp, to lead Louisville to a conference championship-clinching victory and a BCS bowl bid.
Oh, the kid is a gamer.
Intelligent. Athletic. Driven.
He might not be flashy, but he could be an NFL star.
"I can't wait to see what he becomes, because he'll be a franchise guy," Watson said. "He has franchise written all over him because of his character.
"I think for a guy to become a franchise guy, he's gotta first have the skillset and most importantly he's gotta have the character to realize that skillset.
"Teddy Bridgewater's got the character and the skillset."
And the Texans have the No. 1 draft pick.
They shouldn't overthink it.
Listen to The Rush with Jerome Solomon and Dave Tepper weekdays from noon-2 p.m. on ESPN 97.5 FM.
Jerome.solomon@chron.com
How would you characterize Teddy's leadership style?
Is he a rah, rha type of guy?
Is he a fiery, celbratory guy?
Is he a get in your face guy?
Is he a lead by example type of guy?
Is he a rah, rha type of guy?
Is he a fiery, celbratory guy?
Is he a get in your face guy?
Is he a lead by example type of guy?
Blake
MMQB
My opinion is that he is a lead by example. Calm, and collected. Like AJ. AJ just shows up, works his ass off and destroys secondarys.
He's just Teddy.
amazing80
Hall of Fame
Not being in the huddle with him makes it hard to know for sure, but from watching him play, it seems that way. Never seems to get in someones face and yell, but he is steady and encourages his team mates.
kiwitexansfan
Hall of Fame
I'd guess lead by example. Arrives early, stays late, knows all the assignments inside and out and is basically the smartest guy in the room.
Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
Is that johhny manzel? What, no? It's Bridgewater. Well we better not draft him because he won't be able to do that in the nfl. Did you see him throw it up for grabs? That's an int in the nfl. Did you see him scrambling? Well that won't fly in the nfl where the guys are bigger and faster. And with his size, he'll get hurt.
Trap_Star
SiteContributor
Is that johhny manzel? What, no? It's Bridgewater. Well we better not draft him because he won't be able to do that in the nfl. Did you see him throw it up for grabs? That's an int in the nfl. Did you see him scrambling? Well that won't fly in the nfl where the guys are bigger and faster. And with his size, he'll get hurt.
y u mad tho?
Huh????
AngryNateFTW
Veteran
Bridgewater weighed in at 208. Lost his weight that he put on for the Combine.
LOL I was thinking the same thing.Is that johhny manzel? What, no? It's Bridgewater. Well we better not draft him because he won't be able to do that in the nfl. Did you see him throw it up for grabs? That's an int in the nfl. Did you see him scrambling? Well that won't fly in the nfl where the guys are bigger and faster. And with his size, he'll get hurt.
As for losing the combine weight gain, I'm none too shocked.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
Thought that might happen for pro day, despite his claims to be targeting 222 lbs.